Customer Reviews

Black & Decker CHV1500 15.6-Volt HEPA Cyclonic DustBuster

5 star:		(120)
4 star:		(54)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am going to try and keep this short and sweet because this 15.6V DustBuster does exactly what it is supposed to do: it has tremendous suction. Suffice it to say, I was a little leery of buying it because it's a little pricey and I have had really bad experiences with these types of products in the past (check out my review of the Shark EP750ST Deluxe Cordless Handheld Vacuum).

Well, color me impressed. The suction is FANTASTIC. The battery seems to last forever. I have yet to run low on a charge in usage up to 15 mins continuously. Also, if the battery should ever begin to lose its power charge duration over time, the CHV1500 has the ability to swap it out for a new. This is a big coup! It also has a HEPA filter and a great canister for storing dirt that makes it easy to empty. All in all, someone finally did their research here. Kudos Black and Decker.

So, if you are thinking of buying a dustbuster, I can wholeheartedly recommend this one.

I'm sorry, as terrible a pun as it is, I couldn't help myself.

This replaces a 3 year-old DustBuster that finally couldn't keep a charge. We use it to clean up random small messes around the house which, with two small kids and a cat, means it gets lots of use. Lots of power, great pickup, reasonable single-charge performance (8-10 minutes), with a very effective and easy to clean filter make it a HUGE improvement over our old unit. In fact, it's enough of an improvement that I'm sorry we didn't replace the old one earlier. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that $10 for the replacement HEPA filter is highway robbery; I also suspect that the replaceable battery is too expensive to really make it a useful option.

Oh, and don't expect it to pickup cat hair, etc., it won't; This unit is designed for things like lose dirt and cereal.

Update: It does have one brain-dead design flaw. On prior models the vac exhaust is on the unit's side, on this unit it's on the bottom opposite the handle. On several occasions now I've managed to blow dust, hair, etc. all over the room after overrunning what ever it is I was trying to pick up. The rating stands though.

I got this several months ago---I've been burned before with handhelds, so I was pretty skeptical about the mfg. claims. I have cageful of parakeets, and I hate having to drag out the corded big vacuum to clean up seeds and feathers all the time. This really does a good job, altho' like another reviewer said, I have to be careful what direction I face the exhaust. The crevice tool is stored onboard so it doesn't get lost, and just the right size for cleaning out sliding door tracks (every other vacuum attachment I've tried is JUST a little too big to actually fit into the groove). They need to figure out a way to store the little upholstery brush onboard, too.

The HEPA filter really does seem to keep dust from flying around. I ordered a replacement from Amazon to have it on hand, but I haven't needed to use it yet. This vacuum's easy to empty, and designed so when you put it nose-down in its charger, stuff doesn't fall out like it did with older models. It is a pain, however, to get the filter cover locked back into place if you take it out.

My friend (who also has birds) got a cordless Shark, and it's utterly useless. I'm going to order one of these for her---I think she'll like it a lot better.

PS: SHE DOES like it a lot better!~

02/23/08 Update:
I'm online to order my sixth one of these----and not because they haven't held up. I now have the original one in my pottery studio, the second near the catbox & bird cage, and the third in the kitchen. Today I'm ordering one to have near the paper shredders. I've ordered two more as gifts, and the recipients are just as happy with them as I am. Gave one to the bachelor son with three shedding dogs, and he loves it.

I've replaced the filter on the original one once in the past 2+ years. I shake the filter out over the trash bin about once a month. It still sucks up bits of dry clay like a champ, and doesn't spew the dust back into the air. With the crevice tool on it, it gets into nooks and crannies and along edges that are hard to clean well any other way.

This is just a great, hard-working tool!

I've been a big fan of the whole Dustbuster portable concept since the beginning, but frankly, the results never quite lived up to the hype. We've owned 7.2V, 9.6V, and 12.6V Dustbusters, and while they were fine for pickup up dust in the corner or spilled coffee grounds, the "big" jobs always required pulling out the full-sized vacuum.

I've generally bought the second-tier Dustbuster -- one step down from the pricey flagship model, to where the bang-for-the-buck was greatest. Boy, am I glad I broke the habit this time!

The CHV1500 is in a different league. The combination of a 15.6V motor and the Cyclonic design finally reaches a point where the Dustbuster can tackle:

- dog hair in an area rug or stair runner
- sawdust
- staples and pins

We have two long-haired dogs, and keeping up with dog hair has always been a hassle. Our house is low on closet space, so the big vacuum is in the back room, and dragging it out is a pain. Now, we don't have to!

The battery life is improved, too. I've used this Dustbuster to thoroughly clean the 4' x 6' rug at the front door: loaded with winter road sand and the afforementioned dog hair. Normally, this is a 10-15 minute job, and previous Dustbusters seemed to run out of pep at about 5-6 minutes. The CHV1500 is still running strong at the end.

What don't I like about the CHV1500? One minor quibble: There is only a place for the long-nosed attachment; the short brush attachment has to stay in place on the nose of the vacuum -- or get stuck in a drawer somewhere, lost forever. Other than that, this is the best portable vacuum I've ever owned.

I've had 2 dustbusters in the past, but they were not very powerful, the charge wouldn't last long,and the batteries would always go bad within a year or two. I thought to myself that I would never buy another one again. But when I saw these cyclonic models, and the great reviews, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did. The CHV1500 is extremely powerful and the charge seems to last forever. My hair sheds a lot in the bathroom and this is perfect for getting rid of it all. I don't know about the longevity of the battery since I've had this model for just a month or two, but the manual does say you can have it swapped out. There are 2 speeds. The crevice tool fits on board but not the little brush attachment. It is heavier and bulkier than the other models I used to own, but that's the tradeoff you have to make to get the more powerful battery. It's worth it. All in all I'm very happy with Black & Decker's latest version. If you want the super convenience of a cordless, this is a great choice.

Update 3/25/2006:if you want a tip for saving money when you buy extra or replacement filters, see my review here for the VF100H filter.

I purchased the Dustbuster CHV1560 (15.6 volt). Worked very well for about 7 months. Ran at least 15 min on full charge. Then I noticed the motor would begin slowing down after only 3 or 4 min. Called Customer Service; they said battery expected to last only about a year (from manufacture, not from initial use); sent me a brand new unit. Replacement was model 1500 (has HEPA filter). So far, so good, but when I called Cust Serv again to ask about replacing the battery in the first dustbuster, I was told it was not cost-effective. The battery pack costs more than a new vacuum. Furthermore, in spite of what the user manual indicates, the battery pack does not appear to be removable, and Cust Serv was unable to help -- recommended I take it to a service center. Cust Serv rep said these vacs are warranted 2 years, hinting that if they go bad or their performance deteriorates within that time, they will provide a replacement. I think small appliances should be serviceable by the consumer; I think replacement batteries should be readily available and cost much less than a new appliance; I think consumers have a right to expect more than two years of use.

One other small complaint: the plastic nose of these Dustbusters will scratch flooring of almost all types. Even the little brush attachment will scratch relatively soft flooring (vinyl/linoleum/marble). They should provide some sort of soft tip cover/bumper or add a strip of felt or soft plastic to the lower edge.

I was disappointed on how poorly this dustbuster works on carpeting. When I used it to vacuum up cat litter on my carpet, I ended up getting out my big vacuum to finish the job. I was hoping that by now, Black and Decker would have figured out how to make a Dustbuster that works well on carpet. However, it does work well on bare floors...I'm glad I bought it for simple, fast clean-ups on bare surfaces. I like the design. It's easy to handle. Easy to clean. Again, would recommend for bare surfaces.

This is the very best Dustbuster type vacuum we have owned (#1 out of four owned). Powerful enough and hold charge well.

I have had Dust Busters for 25 yrs+. This is the most powerful I have ever seen!!! Go for this one and don't go for the one with less volts. I really do reccomend this product!! (And usually, I don't bother with reviews)

I had the 14.4V model for a couple of years (it has green buttons, but looks physically the same), and it served me pretty well except for the battery never being able to recharge consistently and properly. So, even after a full charge the power would dwindle within half a minute or so. I picked up this 15.6V version and am very impressed so far. It seems to hold its charge a lot longer, so maybe Black & Decker fixed the battery issues with the previous one. Also, its lower setting is super powerful enough, I very rarely even have to switch to the higher one. The test of time will be whether it continues to hold its charge consistently, or start to fail like the previous version. Like many other reviews, I seriously recommend emptying the tray and dusting off the filter every time you use it.